Clarkdale planning commission recommends Circle K permit, asks staff to study taller wall for noise reduction

The Clarkdale Planning Commission voted unanimously March 17 to recommend that town council approve Conditional Use Permit 2550188 allowing a Circle K convenience store with fuel sales at the northeast corner of State Route 89A and Lincoln Drive.

Senior Planner Clover Pinion told commissioners the commercial parcel will be approximately 2.69 acres after a split and the proposed building would total about 5,200 square feet. The project design includes an 18-foot, 6-inch canopy with 12 fueling positions, 26 parking spaces (including two ADA stalls and eight oversized spaces for RVs and trucks), underground fuel storage tanks, and a six-foot masonry wall along the rear lot line. Pinion said staff recommends approval to town council subject to the stipulations in the staff report. "We recommend approval for Conditional Use Permit 2550188 with a forward recommendation to town council subject to the stipulations in the staff report," Pinion said.

The applicant and project team told the commission that access will be right-in/right-out at both driveways because of medians on Lincoln Drive and SR 89A and that ADOT approved a deceleration/right-turn lane on SR 89A prior to the entrance. An engineer for the project said the proposed driveway and width were sized to accommodate large vehicles and deliveries. The applicant's corporate representative, Ryan, said construction would take "about a seven-month time period" from groundbreaking to opening.

Residents who live behind and adjacent to the parcel raised concerns about traffic, whether medians would prevent safe egress for large vehicles, and whether desert landscaping would adequately buffer noise. Brenda Mstretta, who said she owns the house directly behind the site, told commissioners she did not believe an RV or semi could safely exit at the Lincoln driveway as shown on the plans. Commissioners noted that staff will confirm the final traffic configurations and consider curb or post treatments on medians to discourage unsafe turns.

Commissioners also questioned whether the proposed six-foot masonry wall would adequately reduce noise from fuel sales and large vehicles. Staff said no formal noise study was included in the submittal and agreed to check with the technical team. Town Manager Susan Guthrie urged the commission to consider the impacts of any taller wall on neighbors' privacy and views and recommended that staff coordinate neighborhood input before suggesting a higher wall to council.

After discussion, a commissioner moved to recommend approval of the CUP to town council and to add a stipulation directing staff and the applicant to investigate whether increasing the masonry wall above six feet would provide noise-reduction benefits and to consult with the neighbors directly behind the wall. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

Key project figures from the staff presentation: parcel size ~2.69 acres; building ~5,200 sq ft; canopy clearance 18 ft 6 in; 12 fueling positions; 26 parking spaces (2 ADA, 8 oversized); building setback of 47 ft from the rear property line; landscape buffer minimum referenced as 20 ft; hours of operation proposed as 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The staff report noted that lighting must meet town code to prevent spillover onto neighboring properties and that the project will include modern underground fuel storage with spill-containment features and emergency shutoff systems.

The commission's recommendation forwards CUP 2550188 to Clarkdale Town Council for final action; council will consider the staff stipulations and the commission's recommendation at a future meeting.